So sorry to let you all down.
I have had a career change for the better... much better, actually... doing full time design work for a major US defense contractor. Kind of going back to my roots, only better. They found me on my LinkedIn page and head hunted me away from my pharmaceutical gig. Didn't blink at my salary request (which was an order of magnitude more than previously... should have asked for more) and snapped me up. New hours are 8 to 5, and tho not any farther from mecca... in fact probably closer... given the fact that I now dress business casual and don't get "soiled" in my daily routine, makes it harder to be ready for "shop work" after "desk work". Just don't have the same time in the evenings that I had before, and can't use the resources at "work" that I used to have.
No more easy access to the fabrication, welding, sheet metal and machine shops, though that could change a little as I move forward (new gig has limited fabrication opportunities, but that could develop some in the future... there is a mill and basic fab shop...) but the lines between "senior designer" and grunt aren't as easily crossed. And due to the sensitive nature of the work we do, I can't use the design software at my desk for personal use anymore.
To be honest, I'm doing much better career wise, catching up for lost investment time, but suffering on the camper front. Even in the few short months at the new job, I have been lauded and informed that I am likely to advance very soon, so... it can't be bad. Better than slaving away and killing my knees and back at the old "factory".
If you look back at my earlier posts you will see that one of my motivations for the build was staying off of the couch and not falling into the drinking pit falls. I have to admit that the pool habit and new work hours aren't helping toward that cause. But with the change in weather (warmer), and forced decline in ability to play pool out (Covid thing), I have a renewed enthusiasm for working on the camper.
Being in the defense industry (submarines again now), I am still at work, so am not laid off, but the hours of operation aren't helping the camper cause.
Karl and his helper have both had cold/flu symptoms... and are now currently working on a NYC construction project... at the botanical gardens... so I am still staying away from mecca.
The time off from the camper has given me time to consider that my attempts to fill the fiberglass weave using ever more thickened epoxy (in the vertical orientation) may have simply been the wrong approach. Now that I have flipped the camper on it's side I am thinking that thinner slurries may be better at self leveling. (I have also been absorbing some input from the
Street Bandito 240Z Carbon Fiber project, where he doesn't use any thickeners. (Beware that the videos are not necessarily high production value, and have some immature content, but it is a serious complicated technological project, none the less. Race car thing.)
In the meantime Karl helped me install a take-down joint in the heralded 17 oz house cue that helped us get to Vegas, although with mixed results... and I want to work on finishing that more. Did I say that we got to 65th level out of 720 qualifiers?
In fact, I'm no longer on that team... the one that went to Vegas... and have started my own 8-ball team in the same division. We were actually doing quite well until the Covid thing put a temporary halt to play.
I'm also on a 9-ball team, and while I was personally doing okay, the team has been consistently ranked low.
The new Jeep has been working out super well, but the Ford is showing it's age. The old black Jeep is wallowing behind Karl's shed and I owe a deep gratitude to him for allowing me to fester in my indecisiveness over what to do about that. Anyone want a high mileage Jeep with great parts, but a few issues?
Anyway, I still consider you all as my friends and hope to be closer to you again in the near future.
Peace out.
KC